Cuban Black Beans and Rice

I love this recipe and it is a regular at our house.


Makes 4 Servings:

1 cup long grain rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
2 gloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 15.5 ounce can black beans, rinsed
1 cup water
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh cut cilantro
Salt and Pepper

1. cook the rice according to the package directions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, 1 tsp salt (I like to use Kosher salt), and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the cumin and cook for 1 minute.
2. Add teh beans, oregano, and 1 cup water. Simmer, covered for 10 minutes. Add the vinegar and smash some of the beans with the back of a fork to thicken.
3. Serve the beans over the rice and top with cilantro

Enjoy

Bride's Biscuits

This recipe comes from "The Essential Mormon Cookbook" and Jessica McCall

1 pkg. dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
5 cups flour
3 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup shortening or butter
2 cups buttermilk

Dissolve yeast in water, let stand 10 minutes. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Cut in shortening/butter. Mix wet ingredients into dry, working only until moistened. Put in a large plastic container, cover and refrigerate several hours. Can be stored in fridge for up to a week. Roll out on a well floured surface 1/2 inch thick and cut with biscuit cutter or other round shape (like a glass). Place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or til golden brown. Makes 3 dozen.

*I have made these plenty of times without refrigerating the dough and substituting regular milk for buttermilk and they turn out just as well for us!

Brown Sugar Strawberry Tart

1 cup flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar, divided
1 TBSP cornstarch
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cups cold butter, but into pieces
1 tsp. vanilla, divided
1/2 cup creme fraiche
1/2 cup whipping cream
12 oz strawberries, hulled and sliced

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a food processor, whirl flour, 2 tbsp sugar, cornstarch, and salt until combined. Add butter and 1/2 tsp vanilla and pulse until fine crumbs form and dough just begins to come together. Press evenly into bottom and up sides of a 9 inch round tart pan with a removable rim (I used a cheesecake pan with removable rim since I don't have a tart pan).
2. Bake until edges are golden, 20-22 minutes. Let cool on a rack, then gently push tart crust from pan rim; set on a plate.
3. In a bowl with a mixer on high speed, bet creme fraiche, cream, remaining tbsp sugar and remaining 1/2 tsp vanilla until thick. Spread on coolded crust. Arrange strawberries in circles on top.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/8 cup poppy seeds
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup lemon flavored yogurt
1 tbsp lemon extract
1/3 up vegetable oil
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 tbsp white sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a muffin tin
2. Combine the four, 3/4 cup white sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
3. Ina separate bowl mix the eggs, yogurt, lemon extract, vegetable oil, and lemon zest. Blend well and pour over the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Do not overmix!
4. Spoon the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes.
5. Combine the lemon juice and the remaining 3 tbsp of white sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves.
6. Once the muffins are baked pierce the tops several times with a toothpick. Slowly pour about 1 tbsp o f the lemon juice mixture over the tops of each muffin. Let muffins cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing from the tin. Enjoy!

Black Bean Brownies

Black Bean Brownies
submitted by: Rachel Green

1 box brownie mix (I used triple chocolate chunk)
1 can black beans rinsed and drained
1/2 cup water

puree black beans and water in a blender or food processor. Combine with brownie mix. DO NOT ADD OIL OR EGGS bake according to package directions. Enjoy!

These turned out very tasty. You can't taste beans at all. The beans do change the texture of the brownies a little bit-they are a little more dense. Pack some protein and fiber into your treats-oh yeah!

Banana Bread

Recipe submitted by Rachel Henry:

• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups mashed ripe bananas
• 2 TB lemon juice
• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup walnuts

Mix dry ingredients. Mix bananas with lemon juice in a separate bowl and set aside. Cream together shortening and sugars. Add eggs and beat until light and fluffy (about 4 minutes). add dry ingredients alternately with milk. Fold in bananas and nuts. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes for small loaves or 1 hour for 1 large and 3 small loaves.

Carrot Cake

2 cups white sugar
3/4 cups vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups grated carrots
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup applesauce
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup butter
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan (I used two 9 inch round pans).
2. In a large bowl, mix together sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk. Stir in carrots, coconut, and applesauce. In a seperate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; gently stir into carrot mixture. Stir in chopped nuts (if you're using them). Spread batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool.
4. In a medium mixing bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, vanilla and powdered sugar. Blend until creamy. Frost cake.